MARCH 29, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Hospital ‘at risk’ for years By Sumeyya Ilanbey
and at-risk babies were not transferred to larger hospitals. The Auditor-General’s report found many ‘red flags’, including professional competency issues and maternal safety concerns, had been raised by senior medical practitioners. It also reveals claims that demand for maternity services outstripped the hospital’s clinical capacity were ignored by the Health Department. The report found “internal communication” problems at the department had “resulted in fragmented responses”.
Red flags were being raised for years about systemic failures of process and practice at Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital, an AuditorGeneral’s report has found. Senior clinicians queried the hospital’s ability to manage its maternity services, while an internal report years before any investigation was launched found the hospital’s obstetric service was an “extreme risk”. The hospital’s medical services director reported the obstetrics service was “under extreme risk” in 2010 because of a rapidly increasing There was no workload and the expected growth in the health service’s catchment, the central point where report tabled in State Parliament last these concerns were week reveals. But the hospital only sought extra funding to manage that growth three integrated years later, in February 2013. - Auditor-General’s report 2016 Meanwhile, an unnamed director “There was no central point where of obstetrics at a “large metropolitan health service” also raised concerns these concerns were integrated and with the Health Department about the collectively assessed,” the report states. “Appropriate and timely action hospital’s maternity services. The report reveals the obstetrics could have averted some of the serious director claimed the hospital did not consequences.” Acting Auditor-General Peter Frost have “sufficient medical support or said while hospitals were improving capacity to grow the service”. In this instance, the hospital their patient safety culture, there was advised the Health Department it “still significant work” to do to improve “had procedures in place with the incident management. “The audit found that there have metropolitan health service to manage been systemic failures by DHHS, higher-risk mothers and infants”. An investigation commissioned by indicating a lack of effective leadership the department last year found seven and oversight, which collectively poses of the 11 baby deaths that happened an unacceptably high risk to patient at the hospital in 2013 and 2014 could safety,” Dr Frost said. “Some of these issues were identified have been avoided. It also found that high-risk mothers over 10 years ago in our 2005 audit.”
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TIM IDLINGTON
Mushies take star turn Tim Idlington has progressed from mushroom farms in Parwan to television and will soon be appearing on Channel Seven’s My Kitchen Rules. The Parwan Valley Mushrooms chief executive is a supplier to Coles, a major sponsor of the reality show, and will appear in product segments for the supermarket. Mr Idlington hopes the national TV exposure will help boost his sales. He says he’s enjoyed being involved in the show. “The interaction with the contestants during the product segment seemed to work really well and the television exposure gives us the chance to work with our community.” Coles’ fresh produce general manager, Brad Gorman, said the TV appearances were a way of celebrating “the great food grown on family farms”. Sumeyya Ilanbey
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